8mm to the Left: If Hitler Died in 1923
- Thread starter KaiserKatze
- Start date
Hehe, now you're getting it.
If Lettow-Vorbeckian Germany (god that is a mouthful) ends up at war with Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, or Italy, it will see Germany take more than just German lands, and defend it as strategic. I even drew up a map of regions which he considers strategically-valuable and his peak Germany would border the HRE. And von Lettow-Vorbeck, like many in the Wehrmacht, believes that a small war is desirable as a unifying force for the people. The question is if he will continue to feel that way as time goes on, and whether his opinions will go stronger, or weaker.
I can also say that I do not want this to be a Germany wank. This are big dreams, but this will 100% not be the reality.
I'd honestly hope for a gradual return of Germany to democracy in the waning years of Von Lettow Vorbeck, sort of like what happened to OTL Spain. Even still, the 1930s are a perfect storm for the Germans to entirely flip the board of Europe, and with a (relatively) moderate man at the helm, I feel like he'll be taking that opportunity and molding europe to his will by the mid-1940s. Especially with the {Redacted]-brains in charge of the French Army... Makes me wonder if we'll see a rare German Empire / Anglosphere Cold War. also, please spare czechoslovakia...
before that, an anschluss under VLV might be less forced than the otl one, but i see it still happening
This is 100% a spoiler but I have no self control cause I spent the whole day writing Austria and it was so fun:
I love Austria far too much to write it out of the story in the 1930's à la Anschluss. No, my Austria has far higher to rise, and far greater to fall, than what happened in our 1930's...
And whether he can be sure that a small war will stay a small war.
I’m still hoping the monarchy gets restored. Louis Ferdinand seems like the type of guy to help the transition back to democracy a la Juan Carlos
I mean, to be fair he has so far stayed (mostly) democratic, with the KPD banning being the pnly arguable infringement (which tbf as well was not underserved, and I would only recriminate not banning the far right as well).
Given that his popularity is likely to only grow from here, I don't see why he would need to go out of his way to erode democratic institutions. It won't be perfect democracy, but I would say he'll probably maintain a decent standard.
As for the Cold War, it would be more alike to the pre-WW1 era than the OTL Cold War. There was a fundamental ideological gap that made the Cold War what it was, that could never happen between capitalist western european powers. You might have the disputes for influence and war scares, but you'd never have anything resembling the Iron Curtain.
I'd rather not, tbh. Too cliché, and given that the Kaiser would replace the office of President, Lettow-Vorbeck has reasons to avoid it. Also, Wilhelm III was an imbecile.
I am a fan of the union-states of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia and in my ideal Europe, both would be strong and present. However, I will say that, if they are to make it through the century, they will have to make it through some troubling times ahead, in particular the latter.
That would be a spoiler, so I will not comment. But I will point out that minority governments are quite common and anger tends to only boil over it is felt that the new government is incompetent, such as one comprised of a leader's friends and such. The SPD is the majority party, but not by an overwhelming-enough margin to really push that if it came to it.
Speaking of which, what "official" posts and offices do the people in Vorbeck's inner circle have, now you mentioned that?
At the moment only Göring and von Schleicher have real active seats in the government, as mentioned in 5. Von Lettow-Vorbeck is still in the early days of building his sphere of people as many remain unsure of whether or not he will be the sort of man to throw their weight behind. That is going to be his main struggle for the entire first "phase" of his rule--convincing people that he has the goal and will to achieve his goals. After all, Hindenburg had many of the same ideological points but he took them nowhere
Chapter update should be coming later today or at worst tomorrow, I still have some stuff to work out in a later chapter which might influence the next one. The upcoming chapter will focus on the first ripples outside of Germany, namely in Polish-German relations.
On that note, I am curious to hear all theories on how the initial years of non-Hitlerite Germany will influence things. Even before the war, Hitler's presence influenced things like the German-Polish Non-aggression Pact or the Stresa Front; what are some other things which you all can think of?
On that note, I am curious to hear all theories on how the initial years of non-Hitlerite Germany will influence things. Even before the war, Hitler's presence influenced things like the German-Polish Non-aggression Pact or the Stresa Front; what are some other things which you all can think of?
The Spanish Civil War could be another event that could be affected, particularly with how I doubt Vorbeck would be as open as Hitler in his support for the Nationalist cause, even if he'd certainly sympathize with them.
Ramontxo
Donor
OTL Great Britain went very close to become an allie of Germany, forcing the naval treaty to the French and famously accepting Hitler proposals in Munich. Now with an old, and respected, Prussian officer, which not only will respect his given word but shall abstain from apocalyptic discourses and rampage antisemitism I see then (the British) becaming very close to this Germany